Conservation Genomics by Nancy Chen

Explore the critical field of conservation genomics in this comprehensive lecture from the Fifth Bangalore School on Population Genetics and Evolution. Delve into the challenges of the Anthropocene era, where one in four species face extinction risks. Examine key concepts such as population demography, genetic diversity, and extinction vortices. Learn about advanced genomic techniques like Pairwise Sequentially Markovian Coalescent and Ancestral Recombination Graphs for reconstructing demographic histories. Investigate real-world case studies, including the California condor and Tasmanian devils, to understand heritability and genetic architecture. Analyze the potential and pitfalls of genetic rescue efforts, exemplified by the Florida panther and Isle Royale wolves. Gain insights into the application of genomics in conservation efforts and its significance in preserving biodiversity in our rapidly changing world.

Start
Getting Started
We're now in the Anthropocene
One in four species are at risk of extinction
The Living Planet Report assesses key drivers of species decline
The extinction vortex
Conservation genetics & genomics
What is population demography?
Why model demographic history?
Many methods for demographic inference
Reconstructing demographic history from gnomic
Demography influences coalescent genealogies the site frequency spectrum
Gnomic Data
Pairwise Sequentially Markovian Coalescent
Ancestral recombination graph ARG
Demographic inference of the CA condor
Phenotypes are determined by genetic and environmental factors
Phenotypic variation among individuals
Heritability is the genetic contribution to phenotypic variance
Many traits have h2 between 0.1 & 0.9
Genome-wide association study
Genetic architecture of trait determines power of detection
Heritability of cancer-related traits in Tasmanian devils
The inflated significance of neutral genetic diversity in conservation genetics
Gene flow can rescue populations
Genetic rescue of the Florida Panther
Temporary rescue of Isle Royal wolves
Potential problems with genetic rescue
Conservation genetics & genomics
Thank You